Month: November 2015

Tonight, I went to CorePower Yoga‘s free class at The Graduate Hotel. For those of you who only knew this space as the building behind IHOP, it’s totally worth a visit. They’ve transformed it into a total destination. The rooftop made for the perfect space for an evening practice.

It’s been a minute since I’ve taken a yoga class and I got to break in my new yoga mat that I almost got murdered over. Okay, I’m being dramatic but I bought a brand new Lulu yoga mat off of OfferUp and somehow convinced myself I was going to get murdered by picking it up solo…turns out the girl was a totally normal Scottsdale girl with purple nail polish.

Anyways, heading back to yoga reminded me of all of the things I love about it and I thought I’d share a few here.

1. To stabilize yourself , you have to have singular focus.
When you’re in a balance-y pose, if you focus on a single spot on the wall, you will have an easier time balancing. I love this. When things get hard, go back to the singular focus. It reminds me of Proverbs 4:25-27: Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

2. When something feels overwhelming, don’t stuff it down. Feel it and breathe through it.
When you try a new pose or your body is freaking out, you have the power to calm your mind. I know that sounds hippy dippy- but it’s true and your breath brings you back to reality. Try it next time you’re nervous.

3. Rest is part of the practice.
The last few minutes of every yoga class when you get to just lay there are so rich. Some people say it’s the hardest pose in all of yoga because you have to completely “let go” to get the benefits. I’m not the best rest-er so ending practice and celebrating the hard work I just did reminds me that I need that in real life too.

As someone with a busy brain, I want to get more in the practice of yoga and translating the lessons to real life. Plus it feels great to strengthen my body + mind! They’re doing classes every Thursday for the next little bit- let me know if you’d like to come. 🙂

You may recall that this summer, I had a complete bathroom melt down at Instagram Summer Camp. Read all of the grizzly details here. Last night, I had the opportunity to go to another Bloguette‘s Event: The Round Robin Mini! There were 2 rounds of discussions & you got to pick from 4 stations: Photography, Branding. Social Media, & Marketing. I got to go to Marketing & Branding.

Round 1: Marketing with Anita Walker, VP of Marketing at Fox Restaurant Concepts. Holy Wow. This was a total dream come true. Do you know how obsessed with Fox Restaurants I am? Their service, branding, and don’t even get me started on their pretzel bites… She shared openly and honestly about their creative process, the importance of mentors, and asking for outside help when necessary.

My big take away: Spend more time building trust than trying to express your creative vision. People will let you do just about any crazy idea if they trust you.

Round 2: Branding with Lorena of The Bloguettes I was really excited about this table because I’ve been thinking about branding as I start to pursue a new creative project I’ve been tossing around. It was great to hear from someone who lives & breathes branding. Everything is brand-able: from pens, to the way you answer the phone, down to who you are!

My big take away: It’s okay for brands to evolve. Select branding that is classic to you and let it grow with you. Get a moment of clarity and don’t wait to execute.

Overall, this event was fun because I could come and just be me! There were some familiar faces- which was so nice! And once again everyone was so welcoming and generous with information. Last time, I was scared of the girls in hats, and this time I was one. Oh how the tables have turned. The more I pursue creative opportunities, the more confident I feel in my vision. I’m so thankful that there is a community in Arizona that promotes creativity, girl power, and entrepreneurship. I’m excited for what’s to come! Now to bring some vision to life….stay tuned!

I am e to the z exhausted!!! (Shout out to Xzibit on Pimp my Ride because I can never say any word that starts with “ex” with out thinking of that. Dang- that’s a good personal brand, Xzibit.) Anyways….Halloweekend was crazy town. In total, I helped put on 3 events, wore 2 costumes, and ate 1 billion pieces of candy.